


One, Ten, and Everything in Between

by bonbonvanilla808



Series: Fukurodani's Aristocat [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: F/M, M/M, slight Haikyuu!! crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:03:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonbonvanilla808/pseuds/bonbonvanilla808
Summary: First-year representative and vice-captain of Teiko's basketball team, Akashi Seijuro, is the definition of perfect.Handsome, smart, athletic, and highly-respected by all, he's at the top of the pyramid and no one has yet to come even close. But that all changes when the feisty and brilliant transfer student barges her way into the his world and his normally careful facade is shattered.Can he keep his cool or will the mighty red emperor finally meet his match?





	1. Square One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel for Part 1 of this series, but for the most part, can also be read as a stand-alone work.
> 
> ♥♥♥

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh my, what a horrible first impression I've made," Sayuri yawned, not at all remorseful as she leaned back in her chair.
> 
> _Maybe it wouldn't be a waste of time to get to know this girl, after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning portion this chapter is essentially Chapter 24 _First Impressions_ from Part 1 of this series. However, I have changed things a bit since my writing style has evolved since I first wrote it. Overall, it is the same story, so you are welcome to skip over it to the second section if you have already read Part 1.
> 
> I'm revamping the whole story (with a new name, no less!) and I'm excited to see where this goes. Chapter 1 hasn't really been changed all to much, besides the name, and a few edits here and there.
> 
> ♥♥♥

"Did you guys hear about the new transfer student that everyone's been talking about? Wonder if she's as beautiful as they say..." Aomine pondered as he attempted to knot his tie, only to give up and let his best friend, Kuroko, do it for him. The first-string players of Teiko Middle School's basketball team had just finished their usual morning practice and were currently changing into their school uniforms in the locker rooms.

"You think she'll be in one of the advanced classes?" Kise asked while styling his hair, admiring himself in his locker's mirror and giving his reflection a wink, "Aren't transfer students normally really smart?"

"This isn't some _shoujo_ manga, Kise." Straightening his glasses, Midorima grabbed his lucky item from the bench behind him — a burdock root — before placing it into his bag. "But, if she's a transfer student, then she must be intelligent,  _nanodayo_. I've heard Teiko's transfer exam is incredibly difficult compared to its entrance exam," he surmised, the hint of curiosity in his tone betraying his bored expression. 

It was unheard of for Teiko to accept transfers, though there had been a few in the past, and the topic of every conversation for the past two days had been about the new student. Even Akashi was intrigued by her assumed intelligence, but he didn't understand the obsession people had about the new face, more preoccupied with the throbbing pain in his head. Placing his folded practice clothes into his locker, he slammed the door shut with more gusto than he had intended, wincing at the sound.

His friends and teammates grew quiet, turning to look at their vice-captain. "Aka- _chin_ , is there something wrong?" Murasakibara asked carefully, confused by the redhead's behavior considering that practice had gone well.

"It's nothing, Atsushi," Akashi reassured him, giving his friend a small smile, "I'm just tired. I stayed up late last night analyzing last week's practice drills," he explained as he collected his things and headed towards the locker room's doors.

With a shrug, the others quickly followed suit; once outside, they were joined by their friend and manager, Momoi, who immediately threw herself at the team's phantom player. "Tetsu- _kun_!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling his cheek.

"Momoi- _san_ , we're going to be late," Kuroko said quietly, throwing an apologetic look at his grimacing best friend while the others ignored the two and continued walking. Without releasing her grip, the pinkette clung to his arm and the group made their way to the first-year building, discussing their first practice match of the season against Nambara Junior High.

When they arrived at the first-year classes, they separated into their respective rooms. "Tell us all about the transfer student later!" Kise shouted before being dragged into his class by Aomine, earning snickers from his classmates and nearby students.

While Momoi took her seat near the front, as the class was organized in reverse alphabetical order, Akashi headed towards his at the very back, right next to the window. Though the incoming breeze was soothing, the room buzzed with quiet gossip as they waited for their teacher, aggravating his growing headache. Rubbing his temples, he tried to tune them out, opening his notebook to begin reading the notes for his first class of the day.

With a _thud_ that reverberated through his head, the door slid open to reveal their teacher; all heads turned towards the woman, frozen in silence before immediately reanimating when they noticed the girl standing behind her. From his seat, Akashi could only make out the black hair of who he assumed was the new transfer student.

"Quiet down everyone. We have a new student joining us today," the teacher informed, moving to stand in front of the class as her words cast a hush over the room. Clearing her throat, she waved a hand towards the new student, motioning for her to enter. "Nekomata- _san_  recently moved back to Japan from America," she stated, tipping her head, "Please introduce yourself."

All eyes were glued to the ravenette as she made her way to the front of the room, her long hair swaying against her back. She moved gracefully, as if she were gliding across the floor, and Akashi wondered if she was a dancer; given the defined muscles in her slim, yet toned legs, he could tell she was at least some sort of athlete. 

"My name is Nekomata Sayuri, but please call me Sayuri!" she chirped as she bowed, her voice light and melodic, "I was born in Tokyo, but grew up in Sendai before moving to California, so I'm still getting used to the hustle and bustle of the city.  _Hajimemashite_!"

When she had raised her head, the class erupted with shouts.

"Nekomata- _san_ , can you speak English?"

"Where in California did you live? Were you near Hollywood?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

The girl blushed at the last question and coyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before a small smile broke out on her face. "As much as I would love to answer your questions, I'm sure S _ensei_  would like to continue on with homeroom before the next class," she murmured, ignoring the whining of her nosy classmates. Tilting her head, she glanced at the teacher next to her. "Speaking of which, where should I sit?"

Chuckling at the girl's clever evasion, the older woman pointed towards the back. "You can sit next to Akashi- _san_. Since he's the first-year representative, I'm sure he'll be able to answer any questions you may have."

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly in irritation, and he fought to hold back a sigh. He had enough to deal with as is, and had no time to waste helping the new student adjust. However, he had been raised to be a gentleman and could not refuse, politely extending a hand towards her when she sat down. "I'm Akashi Seijuro," he said, plastering on the best fake smile he could muster with a pounding headache. Caught off guard, she raised her eyebrow in surprise before gripping his hand in hers, giving it a firm shake. "As S _ensei_  mentioned, please do not hesitate to ask me about anything," he added, keeping the annoyance out of his voice.

"I'll be in your care, Akashi- _san,_ " Sayuri hummed, releasing his hand as her lips formed a smirk, "But, while I appreciate your generous offer, I think I should be fine on my own — I wouldn't want to distract you from you busy schedule." Her eyes gleamed mischievously, as if she was laughing at some inside joke. 

The corners of Akashi's mouth twitched and he clenched his teeth; the girl had somehow read past his facade. "I assure you, Nekomata- _san_ , that you won't be a _distraction_. I am not too busy to help a fellow classmate, let alone my own deskmate," Akashi replied, his voice clipped. 

Her smile growing a tad bit wider, she threw him a pointed, but amused, glance before focusing her attention back on the teacher and effectively ending the conversation.

Irked by the entire exchange, Akashi whipped his head towards the front of the room, regretting the move immediately. He inhaled sharply through his nose as pain shot through his skull and his hand curled into a fist at his side. Just as he moved to reach inside his desk to rummage around for some painkillers, he felt cool hands unfurl his fingers and press something into his palm. Glancing down, he saw that his deskmate had slipped him some medicine and without looking at her, he nodded in thanks before quickly popping the two pills into his mouth. Within minutes, the pain subsided and by the time homeroom ended, his temperament had lightened up considerably.

"Thank you," Akashi acknowledged, casting his eyes towards her and giving her a much more genuine smile.

"It's not a big deal. I get incredibly terrible migraines every now and then, so I always have some on me," the ravenette stated, waving away his thanks. That infuriating smirk on her face again, she propped her elbow on the desk and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. The intensity of her gaze shocked him and he had little time to react before she leaned forward, their noses only a few centimeters apart from each other. "Good to see you're in a better mood," she teased, sticking her tongue out.

Though he tried to hide it, the sudden close proximity of their faces caught the redhead off guard, and it didn't slip past the keen eyes of the girl, who giggled quietly. With a snide remark on the tip of his tongue, the teacher for first-period entered the room and he swallowed his retort.

"Alright, let's begin the lecture," the strict-looking man declared. "I'll be introducing a new topic today..."

Frowning, Akashi sighed as he turned his attention to the new teacher, but a s the man droned on, he grew bored, finding himself more interested in the girl next to him than the material being covered.  The sour look on her face told him that she found the lecture just as tedious as he did, and she didn't even bother to pay attention, only absentmindedly scribbling something in her notebook every now and then. Glancing down, he noticed that the page in front of her was empty of mathematical expressions and variables, and instead filled with random doodles.

"Ah, I got ahead of myself and lost track of time," the teacher drawled when only a few minutes of class remained, his lips twisting into a sneer as he began writing on the board, "Before we end, let's see if anyone can solve this problem." The class remained silent, just as he intended, and smug expression made its way onto his face. Students shrank in their seats as he scanned the room, trying to avoid becoming his victim and he smirked in victory. "If no one volunteers, we'll be having a pop quiz tomorrow!"

_What a nuis —_

The sound of a chair sliding across the floor broke the tension, and everyone's head snapped towards the back of the room: next to him, Sayuri had stood and was already sauntering towards the front of the room, politely bowing to the teacher when she reached the board. "If I may,  _Sensei_ ," she offered, taking the chalk from his outstretched hand, and the class held their breaths as she solved the problem in a few quick strokes, finishing just as the bell rang. Spinning around towards the slack-jawed teacher, the girl's mouth spread into a plastic grin and she clapped her hands together in fake glee. " _Phew_! For a second there, I thought you had me, _Sensei_! That was quite a difficult problem!"

Akashi found himself chuckling under his breath at her blatant lie, as it had only taken a second for her to read the problem before getting up to solve it.

Cocking her head, the ravenette pursed her lips while her slim fingers mesmerizingly twirled the piece of chalk; for a few stressful moments everyone, including the older man, watched as if in a trance before snapping out of it with a flinch when she slammed it down onto the blackboard tray. "But  _Sensei_ ," she playfully scolded as she batted her eyelashes, her voice sickly sweet and dripping with disapproval, "maybe next time, try not to use concepts that haven't been covered yet, K?"

Without waiting for an answer, she spun on her heels and sashayed back to her desk, giving the flustered man an innocent look when she took her seat; humiliated, he gathered his things and hurried out the door, bumping into the next period's instructor on his way out.

"Oh my, what a horrible first impression I've made," Sayuri yawned, not at all remorseful as she leaned back in her chair.

_Maybe it wouldn't be a waste of time to get to know this girl, after all._

* * *

Awed by her intelligence and looks, a group of students gathered around Sayuri and Akashi's desk during the morning break. Making her way through the crowd, Momoi took the seat across from the redhead, leaning over the back of the chair to rest her head on his desk. " _Ne_ ,  _ne_ , Akashi- _kun_ ," she whispered, "So what do you think of the transfer student?"

Not wanting to feed into the curiosity of the ears straining to hear his answer, he frowned slightly as he tried to ignore his friend's wide-eyed stare. "Satsuki, it's quite impolite to gossip about someone — especially when they're sitting right next to us," he murmured quietly.

"Don't be like that, Akashi- _kun_! I highly doubt Nekomata- _san_  is paying any attention to us, what with the entire class surrounding her," Momoi whined, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she poked him in the cheek softly, making his eye twitch. "Anyway, I'm not surprised she's so popular — she's definitely pretty, don't you agree?!"

Lifting his gaze towards his deskmate, he begrudgingly had to admit she was much better looking than the average person, her beauty even rivaling the girl in front of him. Up close, he could see that she had smooth, lightly tanned skin and a small oval-shaped face with delicate features that belied the tenacity within: long eyelashes framed light gray eyes, with a beauty mark dotted under the left one, a cute button nose that turned up just a bit at the end, and rosy lips that looked soft to the touch...

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize that he had been caught staring until gray eyes winked at him.

Leaving him no time to react, the noirette quickly turned back to her admirers without a word, and Momoi burst out laughing. "She's an interesting one!" she snorted, her giggles muffled by the sound of the bell. Standing up, she joined the throng of people around them beginning to disperse. "Invite her to eat with us during lunch!" she tossed over her shoulder as she made her way back to her desk.

Shaking his head, Akashi felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and he was met with a timid smile. "Hope you don't mind, but I accidentally overheard your friend..." Sayuri murmured softly, and for the first time today, the transfer student seemed shy, with her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Do not worry, Nekomata- _san_ ," he assured her, sliding his book into his desk as the next teacher arrived, "As Satsuki said, you are more than welcome to join us."

At his words, a blinding grin split the girl's face.

"I'd love to, Akashi- _san_."

\----- 

"What's taking them so long?!" Kise complained as he picked at his food. Pouting, he pushed away his tray and leaned forward to rest his chin on the table.

The quiet boy next to him reached out a hand, patting the dejected blonde on the head. "Kise- _kun_ , you know that the advanced classes get out at a different time then we do. They're probably on their way over now," Kuroko reminded him.

Leaning back in his chair, Aomine chomped on his food. "You think maybe they've talked with the transfer student? I still want to know if she's as pretty as they say," he mused in between bites.

"Why don't you see for yourself,  _nanodayo_ ," Midorima interrupted as he joined his friends, setting his  _bento_  down and pulling out the chair across of Murasakibara, "Akashi, Momoi, and the new girl are headed this way."

Just as the bespectacled boy said, the three of them entered the cafeteria, garnering the attention of everyone in the room. Curious murmurs erupted at the sight of the trio: Momoi Satsuki, renowned for her beauty and brilliance; Akashi Seijuro, the first-year representative and vice-captain of the basketball team; and the new transfer student, who was already making a name for herself with her intelligence and allure.

Bolting up from his seat, Kise excitedly waved his friends over to their table. "Akashicchi! Momoicchi! Over here!"

Sandwiched between her two classmates, the transfer student fidgeted in her seat under the stares of the intimidating giants around her. Noticing her discomfort, Akashi cleared his throat, directing his friends' attention onto him. "Everyone, this is Nekomata Sayuri. She transferred today and currently sits next to me in class." Pointing to each of them as he listed their names, he then introduced the others. "This is Kuroko Tetsuya, Kise Ryouta, Midorima Shintarou, Aomine Daiki, and Murasakibara Atsushi."

Tipping her head in greeting, the noirette smiled coyly, even making Midorima blush. "Pleased to meet you all."

Aomine looked at the girl as he shoved the rest of his lunch into his mouth and raised a brow in question. "Wur arf yur frumph?" he asked in between bites, eliciting a silent cry of help from her.

"Nekomata- _san_  just moved here from California," Akashi sighed, handing the tanned boy a napkin. "And Daiki, how many times have I told you to swallow your food before speaking?" Ignoring the scolding, Aomine grabbed the tissue from his friend and aggressively wiped the crumbs from his face before chugging down his water.

“Ah yes," Sayuri nodded, sending a silent thanks to the redhead for translating, "I actually grew up in Sendai, my mother's hometown, but moved to California right before my third year of elementary school. We moved back to Japan to take care of my paternal grandfather when my grandmother passed away.”

"Sorry to hear that, Nekomata- _san_ ," Kuroko murmured as the others turned somber.

Sayuri waved her hands in front of her, shaking her head. "You have nothing to be sorry about. _Ba_ - _ba_ lived a very long and fulfilling life," she reassured them with a small smile, "And please, call me Sayuri. I'm still not quite used to people calling me by my family name since I've been in America the past several years."  

Quick to lighten the mood, Momoi threw an arm around the girl's shoulder, pulling her near so that they were cheek to cheek. " _Ne_ ,  _ne_ , in that case, can I call you Sayucchin?"

Akashi noticed the transfer student had suddenly gone stiff, shocked by the pinkette's show of affection, and he reached out to help the girl; to his surprise, however, she stopped him by grabbing his outstretched arm, giving it a gentle but firm push as she shook her head. "That's fine with me, Momoi- _san_ ," she chuckled, slowly easing into her embrace and returning the hug, much to the delight of her new friend.

“So Nekomata," Midorima piped up over the two girls' excited chatter, pushing his glasses up his nose to hide his interest, "you must be fluent in English, I presume.”

“Your presumption is correct," she chuckled, turning to the bespectacled boy with a smirk. "I learned a bit before moving, but it was easy to pick up once I was thrown into the thick of it. I also know a couple of other languages, as well since my mother's a cancer researcher who works with people from around the world. She wanted to make sure I could at least understand the gist of what her colleagues were saying.”

Kise's gold eyes lit up and he leaned across the table to get closer to the girl. “Whoa! What other languages do you know?”

The noirette pursed her lips as she ticked off the list using her fingers. “Besides Japanese and English, I’m fluent in Korean. I can understand Spanish really well and I'm confident in my pronunciation, but my vocabulary isn't that great," she cringed sheepishly, "Other than that, I'm currently learning Mandarin and Cantonese, but it's proving to be quite hard!"

Amidst the  _oohs_  and  _ahhs_  of the others, Akashi was quiet, deep in thought. He had to admit to himself that even he was impressed by his impression of her so far; he wasn't used to someone of her caliber, who was close to matching him in intellect and wit. Not only that, but he couldn't forget the warmth of her fingers wrapped around his wrist earlier. Absentmindedly, he rubbed at the skin she had grabbed and frowned, confused by the suddenly weird and tight feeling in his chest.

Underneath the table, Kuroko kicked him, and red eyes snapped up to met blue ones.  _Are you alright?_  his friend mouthed, his brows furrowing in worry. Rigidly, the boy nodded and while the bluenette didn't seem convinced, he dropped the subject, and the two tuned back into the conversation.

With a break in the interrogation, Sayuri directed a question at her new friends. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how do you all know each other?" she asked, finally getting a chance to nibble at the  _onigiri_ she had brought for lunch.

"Well, Dai- _chan_  and I have known each other since childhood," Momoi answered brightly, playfully punching the boy in the arm before waving a hand at the others. "As for everyone else, Dai- _chan_ , Ki- _chan_ , Tetsu- _kun_ , Akashi- _kun_ , Mukkun, and Midorin are all on our boy's basketball team, which I'm the manager of." Puffing her chest out, she grinned proudly. "They're all first-string players, by the way, and Akashi- _kun_  is even the vice-captain of the team!"

The noirette leaned forward with interest, propping herself on an elbow. "Really, now? That's impressive!" Throwing a glance at the redhead next to her, she wiggled her eyebrows expectantly. "I'd love to see you all in action sometime," she hummed, nudging his side lightly.

Her touch sent a jolt through Akashi's body and he struggled to keep his usual neutral facade. Hoping to distract her from his inner turmoil, he bent towards her, close enough that when he spoke, his breath brushed against the sensitive skin behind her ear. "For you, Sayuri- _san_ , the gym doors are always open." he murmured, soft enough that only she could hear. It gave him a huge sense of satisfaction to see her shiver in response and he smiled victoriously, much to the confusion of the others.

"Oh, I've got a great idea!" the pinkette suddenly squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly while oblivious to the intense atmosphere between her two classmates. "Why don't you come to our practice today?"

Shooting a final, wide-eyed and unsure look at the boy next to her, Sayuri turned towards Momoi and smiled sadly. "I would love to, but I have cheer try outs later this week so I'd like to sneak in some extra practice and get a feel of the team before hand."

"You're a cheerleader?!" Aomine gasped, almost spitting out the water he was drinking, "Like the ones who do flips and stuff?"

"Yes, that one," the girl laughed, as if she was used to that kind of reaction, "I also did cross-country in America as well, but since I can only choose one here, I'm going with the one I love more."

For the first time in the entire conversation, Murasakibara spoke up. "Isn't it too late?" he asked with a bored tone, pouting as he stared into his empty bag of chips, but his raised brow and curious glances belied his interest, "Club try-outs were two weeks ago."

Mid-bite, she pushed the food in her mouth into her cheek so that she could speak, making her look like a squirrel stuffed with nuts. "Luckily, Teiko's cheer team doesn't hold them until after Golden Week, so I just barely made it in time."

"Don't they normally hold a training camp during the holidays for newcomers?" Momoi pointed out with a frown, worried for her new friend, "You'll be at a disadvantage! Plus, our cheer team is famous for being top-notch so I'm sure their try-outs are brutal."

The ravenette giggled, her eyes softening at the girl's concern, and she threw up a peace sign as she blew a kiss.

"I'm well aware of Teiko's reputation, but, and I don't mean to sound conceited, I'm sure I'll be fine."

\-----

And her confidence wasn't baseless.

The following Monday morning, surrounded by her new friends, Sayuri was once again the center of attention: news had spread like wildfire around the school that the girl had been chosen as the cheer team's vice-captain — as a first-year _and_ transfer student, no less.

"Sayuricchi, you're amazing!" Kise exclaimed just as the bell rang, squeezing the girl in a quick hug before joining the others as they headed off towards their respective classes or, in Momoi's case, her seat, leaving Sayuri and Akashi alone.

"Sayuri...cchi?" she asked, looking at the redhead with a quizzical expression on her face, her brows furrowed. 

A small smile tugged on Akashi's lips as he prepped for the day's classes, and he chuckled. "Ryouta adds the suffix - _cchi_  at the end of the names of those who he greatly respects," he informed her, "and there aren't a lot of people who have the honor."

"Seriously? I've only known him for a few days!" she pointed out, scrunching her nose in confusion, "Sure we've eaten lunch together every day since I transferred, but I haven't done anything in particular that would earn his respect in such a short time..." He could see the gears in her head turning as she tried to figure out what could have garnered his respect, but when nothing came to mind, she looked to Akashi for an explanation.

 _Is she just being humble or is she that oblivious_? he thought, sending a knowing glance in her direction. "Well, beside the fact that you have an impressive intellect and were able to, not only make it onto the cheer team at a disadvantage, but earn the position of vice-captain, you  _are_  very attractive," he clarified nonchalantly, shrugging as if it was common knowledge.

The noirette blinked slowly, her body still for a few moments as she digested his words before her lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. "My, my, my, how sweet," she drawled as she fanned herself, "While I am touched by your compliment, flattery will get you nowhere, Akashi- _kun_. Hasn't anyone ever told you that lying is bad?"

"Whatever are you talking about?" he almost purred, his expression neutral but his eyes dancing with amusement, "I only speak the truth."

Sayuri quickly turned her head, looking out the window to avoid his piercing gaze. "Akashi Seijuro, you are not good for my heart," she grumbled under her breath, a blush blooming on her cheeks as homeroom began.

 _I can say the same about you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square One: The very first stage of something; the initial starting point.


	2. It Takes Two to Tango

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know you've built these walls around you, but you don't have to go about this alone, not anymore. You have your classmates and your friends..."
> 
> "You have me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a while to write, and it turned out a lot more serious than I had originally intended, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> ♥♥♥

Crowded in front of the large bulletin board near the school's  _genkan_ , students clamored around to get a view of the midterm rankings. Scanning the names of the first years, Akashi quickly found his at the top of the list and a small smile split his face when he saw who was ranked right behind him.

"Wow, congrats Sayurrichi!" Kise shouted, throwing himself at the unsuspecting girl. "You're second in our grade!" Following suit, Aomine, Momoi, Murasakibara, and Kuroko joined in on the group hug, almost tackling the ravenette to the ground.

" _Arigatou_  everyone," Sayuri sputtered, suffocating under the weight of her friends, "but it's nothing special; Sacchan and Midorima- _kun_  are also in the top 10 as well!" Wriggling to free herself, but failing, she threw a glance at the redhead next to her and pouted. "Hell, Akashi- _kun_ 's ahead of me with almost a perfect score!"

Tipping his head in acknowledgment, Akashi brought a hand to his chest. "Well, I'm  _always_  first," he chuckled and the girl playfully stuck her tongue out at his unabashed confidence. Swiftly, but with conviction, he removed her from the death grip of the others and pulled her closer to him. "You did well, Sayuri," he complimented, smiling down at her, "While I did rank above you, it was a close race — you got full scores in math and science."

The ravenette glowed with self-satisfaction at the praise. "Thanks, they are my best subjects," she beamed before her lips twisted into a grimace, "but you pretty much creamed me in every other subject. My literature and history scores were abysmal."

"Nekomata- _kan_ , I hardly think a score of 85 is abysmal," Kuroko sighed, shaking his head as he popped out from behind her, "Have you seen Aomine- _kun_  and Kise- _kun_ 's scores? Now their's are  _abysmal_."

Turning to Momoi, Aomine's brows furrowed in confusion. "Hey, Satsuki, what does  _abysmal_  mean?" he grunted quietly, earning a collective sigh from the group, save for Kise, who was also just as clueless of the dark bluenette, and Murasakibara, who was too preoccupied with the box of _umaibo_  in his hands.

"Alright, you make a fair point, Kuroko- _kun_ ," Sayuri admitted, failing to hide her laughter, "Anyway, the bell is about to ring; we should get going." But as the group made their way to class, greetings and praises directed towards the ravenette continued from passing classmates.

"Good morning, Sayuri- _chan._ "

"Hey Nekomata- _san,_  congrats on getting second place!"

"Yo, thanks for lending me your notes, Nekomata. No wonder you did so well!"

When they arrived at the advanced classes, Aomine had enough and he shook his head in exasperation. "Geez, Sayuri," he groaned, squinting at the many eyes that seemed to follow her every move, "You just transferred and you already have so many fans." Seeing the confusion on her face, he cocked a brow and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Tell me this: how many love letters have you received so far?"

Flustered by his question, the girl bit her lip and turned away, but Akashi saw the light blush dusting her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about..." she grumbled.

"Well, there was Saito, Kobayashi, and Mizuhara from the baseball club, Hayashi from volleyball, Yamazaki and Matsumoto from soccer," Kise interjected, much to the girl's dismay, raising a finger with each name he listed, "Futaba and Ibuki from the swim club, and don't forget Suzuki from student council—"

"Kise- _kun_!" Sayuri hissed, slapping a hand over his mouth, but before she could retort the shrill ringing of the bell cut through the air and the blonde smiled in victory.

He removed the ravenette's hands with ease and chuckled at her sour expression. "Guess that's our cue to leave!" he sang, bolting off to his classroom and escaping the girl's wrath, with Aomine, Murasakibara, and Kuroko in tow, " _Bai bai_! See you guys at lunch!"

While Midorima headed into the room next to them, Akashi rested a hand on Sayuri's lower back and gently pushed her inside. "Come on, let's go _,_ " he murmured as the three of them made their way to their seats.

"Good morning, class, today I'll be assigning a group project," their teacher announced when she arrived, ignoring the groans and complaints coming from her students, "Just because midterms are over, doesn't mean you can slack off. We'll be breaking off into pairs and the two of you will have a week to complete it. At the end of it, I expect a short report and presentation."

One of the kids in the class raised their hand. " _Sensei_ , may we choose who our partners will be?" he asked, and Akashi saw him throw a not-at-all subtle glance at the girl next to him.

A knowing smirk flitted across the teacher's face and she shook her head. "No, Saito- _kun_ , you may not. I can see why you'd like to team up with her, or Akashi- _kun_ for that matter," she added looking at the redhead next to the girl in question, "but let's be fair, shall we? We wouldn't want anyone taking advantage of the kindness of our top two students."

Laughter broke out and the boy named Saito just shrugged, not embarrassed in the slightest. "I had to try!"

"Of course you did," the older woman chuckled before clapping her hands together, "Alright then, to make things easy and simple, you'll be paired up with your deskmate. Today's class will be for choosing and discussing your topic..."

As the others began chattering away with their partners, Akashi turned to the girl next to him a smiled. "I'll be in your care, Sayuri- _san_."

"This should be easy,  _ne_?" Sayuri winked, giving him the victory sign.

\-----

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Akashi- _kun_ , would you please stop nit-picking and rejecting every idea I contribute?! This is a _group_  project, so we need to work together!"

Currently, the two of them were holed up in their classroom after school, furiously reading and taking notes before they had to leave for their respective practices. Each day since it had been assigned, the two of them had tried to meet to work on their project, but it was almost impossible to coordinate their schedules other than during breaks or between school and their respective practices, and with the due date looming above their heads, they had only finished about half of it.

Their stubborn personalities didn't help in getting them far, either.

Akashi's brow twitched but he willed himself to keep his irritation in check. "I'm well aware of the meaning of a "group project", Sayuri- _san_ , but if you want to maintain your school rank, I believe it'd be prudent of you to follow my lead," the redhead retorted as he stood his ground.

The girl's eyes widened slightly in disbelief before narrowing to almost slits. "Oh shove it; you think I'm incompetent, don't you?" she accused, crossing her arms over her chest, "What makes you and your ideas so much better than mine?!"

"I didn't say you were incompetent, and you're far from it," he sighed, rubbing his temple, "but that's hardly the issue here. Your suggestions aren't satisfactory, while mine are, so it's clear as to what route we should take. I'm surprised you aren't aware of it by now, but let me remind you — since I always win, I'm always right," he explained as if stating the obvious, only making her angrier.

"Ugh, you're impossible!" the ravenette huffed, throwing her hands in the air in frustration; giving the boy a final glare, she dropped her head onto the desk with a soft  _thud_ , a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Do what you want. I'm tired of arguing and getting nowhere."

"I will," he articulated as he went back to taking notes, earning a groan, and he heard her resume not long after, her pen scratching angrily against her paper. Minutes ticked by and soon Akashi was once again lost in the words he was reading until his book was suddenly pulled down. "What is it?" he asked, annoyed at being interrupted.

Sayuri's peeved expression mirrored his own and she pointed at his bag with the tip of her pencil. "Your phone is ringing," she said, her mouth in a tight line, before going back to her work without another glance at him.

Silently cursing under his breath when he saw the caller ID, he repressed a frown, turning to the girl with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Excuse me," he said through clenched teeth, making his way outside and slamming the door shut behind him.

"Hello, Father."

"Seijuro," the deep voice of Akashi Masaomi rang through the speaker, "Why did you not answer immediately? Did I not say we had a meeting with the Hayabusa Corporation this evening?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the redhead gritted his teeth. "Of course you did, Father; however I did mention that I had some school work to finish, along with basketball practice. Once I'm done, I will head straight to the restaurant."

There was a pause on the other end of the line and he could almost picture the stern expression on the man's face. "I expect you to be here promptly as this gathering is vital for the future of our company. Remember, I am only letting you continue with that nonsense sport of yours," Masaomi sneered, making his son's blood boil, "because you have been able to produce satisfactory results, and this is no exception. I will not tolerate anything less than perfect."  _Click_.

Unable to control his anger, Akashi spun on his heel, aiming to chuck his phone against the wall — but when the shatter of glass against concrete did not come, he looked up to see a shocked Sayuri, his phone safely in her outstretched hand.

"Akashi- _kun_?!" she squeaked, looking between the cell she had just caught and its owner with a concerned expression, "Is everything, uh, alright?"

The surprise at her reflexes somewhat cooled his rage and he inhaled deeply before stiffly walking over to the girl, snatching the phone from her hand and jamming it into his pocket. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Sayuri- _san_ ," he grumbled, brushing past her into the classroom, "Now can we please get back to working on this wretched project?" 

His mood foul, he refused to look at her as he returned his attention to the books in front of him and he heard her drop into her seat with a  _harumph_ , the two slipping into a tense silence with only the sounds of rustling pages and pencils scratching against paper filling the air.

"Are you like this because of your father?"

Pen frozen mid-word, Akashi slowly lifted his head; caught off guard by the girl's sudden question, his usual gentleman facade had slipped and he was openly glaring at her. "You heard," he stated, simply, his tone hostile.

Unapologetically, she shrugged her shoulders. "The classroom window was open and I happened to overhear," she explained with a frown. "Look, I understand that you want to do well, whether to impress your father or not, but it's impossible to be perfect—"

"Your head is held too high," he snapped as he shot up, and he leaned over the desk between them to shove his face in hers, "This has nothing to do with him. Don't talk as if you understand."

"Fine," Sayuri conceded; scowling, she poked his chest with her finger before pointing at the open books sprawled on the desk between them. "But at this rate, we're not going to finish this project in time if we only meet during breaks and between school and practice."

Akashi looked at the ravenette with raised brows, swatting her hand away. "So what do you suggest?" he scoffed as he sat back down, his voice clipped, "That we go to one of our houses to work on it?"

Crossing her arms, the girl stared at him incredulously. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting, Akashi- _kun_ — is there a problem with that?" Before the redhead could protest, she clapped her hands together and grinned, though there was no amusement behind it. "Great! Since tomorrow's the start of the weekend, let's go to my house after practice. And that's final!"

\-----

"Akashicchi, we're all going to the  _konbini_ to grab some snacks," Kise said the next morning after their practice had ended. "Are you coming with?"

Shaking his head, Akashi threw his bag over his shoulder and shut his locker. "Sorry, but I can't," he explained, heading out the door, "I need to meet with Sayuri- _san_ to work on a project for class."

Just as the blonde opened his mouth to ask, Kuroko slapped a hand over his friend's mouth and nodded "Alright then, Akashi- _kun_ , see you Monday,"  he murmured, dragging the taller boy with him as the others followed.

Exhaling deeply, the redhead made his way towards the cheer team's locker room; when he knocked on the door, he heard the girls on the other side grow silent. "Excuse me," he cleared his throat, ignoring the hushed murmurs that replaced the previous squeals, "Is Nekomata- _san_ there?"

He heard someone shush the others before the door swung open, revealing a flushed but beaming Sayuri. "Hey, Akashi- _kun_! Ready to head o—"

"Oh, ho, ho, what do we have here?" one of the girls behind her whistled as the others giggled. Slinking an arm around her  _kouhai_ 's shoulder, the tawny gave the boy a once over with a sly grin. "Another basketball hottie? Do I need to tell Shu—"

"Oh, shut up, Yuka- _senpai_!" Sayuri pouted while pushing her upperclassman away, only making her teammates laugh harder. "Don't mind them," she sighed to the redhead, jerking a thumb at her teammates as she grabbed her things, "Let's go."

It was a quiet train ride and walk to the Nekomata house, with only a few menial pleasantries exchanged between; when they arrived at the girl's place, Akashi noted that it was quaint and cozy looking, nothing like the grand, but cold, house that he lived in. 

"Welcome to my humble abode," she announced, opening the door, her arm moving in a grand sweeping motion.

" _Oj_ _amashimasu_ ," the redhead murmured, following her inside; reaching into his bag, he handed her the gift he had brought. "Here's some  _manjuu._  I believe you mentioned that your mother likes sweets?"

Taking the box from him, her eyes lit up as she smiled. "You didn't have to!" she gushed, guiding him to the dining room table, where some drinks and snacks were already prepared, "I'm surprised you remembered, but I'm sure  _'Kaa-san_  would be thrilled!"

Plopping into the seat across from him, they lapsed into an awkward silence, and the girl clasped her hands in front of her, fiddling with her fingers. He could tell that their little spat the day before was weighing on her mind, and he waited patiently for her to speak, his pride not letting him apologize first.

"Uh, hey Akashi- _kun_?" she mumbled finally, looking up through her long lashes, "I'm, um, really sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have eavesdropped and assumed things..."

Akashi held a hand up and she bit her lip to stop herself. "No, no, there is nothing you need to be sorry about," he told her, tracing the rim of the cup as he carefully considered his words, "It was...ill-mannered of me to lash out as I did. Let's put this behind us, shall we?" A small smile formed on his face as he quickly glanced around the room. "You have a lovely home, by the way. It's quite warm and inviting."

Sayuri's eyes lit up with relief at the change of subject, but she cringed when she noticed the piles of books and papers that were strewn about. "Sorry for the mess;  _Kaa-san_ 's been busy preparing for a conference. It's a small one in Germany where she's presenting a new drug her and her team just developed," Sayuri explained, pride apparent in her voice, " _Kaa-san_ 's always been brilliant — she graduated from  _Tokodai_ and then taught at  _Tohokudai._ "

A chuckle escaped him at her childlike admiration, and the girl blushed furiously before dipping her head in embarrassment. "Enough about me," she grumbled, pulling her books and papers from her school bag, "We've got a project to finish."

Setting aside their stubbornness, the concentration levels of the top two students in the grade were admirable, and in no time, a few hours had passed with hardly a break. So focused, the two of them flinched in surprise when the girl's phone buzzed; placing her pencil down, Sayuri glanced at the incoming message before yawning, stretching her arms above her head. "I'll be right back; there are some documents my mom wants me to look for," she explained as she stood up, "Feel free to take a break!"

As she headed upstairs, Akashi also got up, rubbing the stiff muscles in his neck. Wandering around the room, he examined the many photos lining the wall: from when she was in California, of her and her serious-looking childhood friend, and the rest of her and her family. 

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed a small  _butsudan_  just outside the living room, and upon closer inspection, saw that it was filled with pictures of a young-looking man, no older than his mid-thirties, who had had dark blond hair and gray eyes — the same man that was in most of the family pictures adorning the wall of the room next door.

"That's my father."

Akashi glanced behind him to see Sayuri, a sad smile on her face. "He got into an accident and passed away when I was in primary school," she mumbled shakily, clearly not over the loss, and she tenderly brushed a finger across his photo. "We were heartbroken;  _Kaa-san_  and I decided to move to America shortly after that to get a fresh start." Her back towards him, she looked so small and fragile, as if she was caving in on herself from the weight of the pain from losing a loved one.

A pain he knew, all too well.

Without even thinking, Akashi made his way over to the girl and wrapped his arms around, uncurling the fingers digging into her arms. He felt her stiffen at first, but she soon relaxed into his embrace and he pulled her close. "I was born as the sole heir to an affluent family and I was obligated to succeed in all areas by my strict father," he admitted, the words spilling from his mouth before he could stop himself, "My mother, on the other hand, was a kind woman — unlike the family she married in to — and was my only support."

"But despite her strong will, she had a weak constitution and two years ago succumbed to an illness."

He heard the hitch in the ravenette's breath and he squeezed her hand — whether to comfort her or himself, he didn't know. "The Akashi family has always expected excellence but after the death of my mother, my father became borderline tyrannical; with every skill I mastered, I was required to learn two more in its place." He dropped his head, his lips brushing her hair, and he sighed. "To him, anything less than the best is unacceptable."

 _I am Akashi Seijuro_. _Perfect at anything and everything, always. I, alone, must be the one to stand at the top because no one else can be relied on._

_Because they all leave in the end._

The trembling of the girl in his arms pulled him from his thoughts and he gently spun her around; her head hung low so that he couldn't see her face and when he tried to tip her chin up, she vigorously shook her head. "Sayuri?" he murmured, "What's wrong?"

"You're always so... _distant_  sometimes," she quietly sniffled as she gripped the front of his shirt, "You keep everyone just out of arm's reach like you're afraid to let them in."

Shocked that she saw right through him, he was at a loss for words. "I don't know what you're ta—"

All of a sudden, her head snapped up and she reached up to cup his face, the fire burning in her gray eyes locking him in place. "I know you've built these walls around you, but you don't have to go about this alone, not anymore. You have your classmates and your friends...," she whispered; pulling him closer, he could feel her breath fan across his face. 

"You have _me_."

His hands currently hanging at his side, his fingers itched to hold her, but before he could move, the blaring sound of her cell phone burst their bubble and the two of them jumped apart. Swiping a hand over her face to wipe away the tears, Sayuri stiffly answered the call. " _Kaa-san_?" she croaked, clearing her throat, "Yeah, I found the documents; I'll scan them and send them over to you in a bit." The voice on the other end said something and she quickly glanced at the redhead before answering. "Oh it's ok, I'm just...studying with a friend. Anyway, I'll talk to you later, k? Love you."

Hanging up, she gave the redhead a sheepish smile. "We should get back to work," she stuttered, rushing out of the room.

Akashi ran a hand through his hair, heaving a long sigh before following suit. "What am I doing?" he muttered under his breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Takes two to tango** : Some things cannot happen with one person acting alone.


End file.
